Third Time Lucky?

[GrpA Calais]

After 2 previous paint corrections with my PC and Adam's products I have finally managed to get around to the car that really matters.... well, at least to me!

 

Let me introduce my 1989 Holden VN Calais.

It started life as a kind of silver/brown colour, but around 7 years ago I fitted the body kit (copied from an HSV VN "Group A" production race car) and had a local body shop refinish the Calais inside & out in PPG 2K "HSV Cherry Black".

 

Here it is wearing another brand of shine.......

 

Having been a car yard detailer in what now seems like a previous life, I knew how to make a car shine (I was a dab hand with a rotary polisher back then!). But that was 10 or so years ago, and the cars never stuck around long enough for us to worry to much about on going wash technique. So for the last 7 years the Calais was been washed with a good quality wash, a nice soft jumbo sponge and a single bucket technique...... then I found Adam's!

 

Truth be told, 99% of people would think I was mad for even seeing the swirls, and in truth I did have trouble capturing them on camera even with the assistance on some 500watt halogen lights. But, I could see them, even more since finding Adam's

 

The process......

 

- Hit the engine bay with my pressure washer and All Purpose Cleaner

- One last single bucket (after 7 years, one more = no difference) wash with an All Purpose Cleaner to strip the old wax

- One last dry with the old chamois (for old times sake! )

- Spot polish the worst bits with drill mounted Orange 4" Pad and Swirl & Haze Remover

- 2 to 4 passes PC mounted Orange Pad and Swirl & Haze Remover (this clear is FAR FAR harder than the previous two cars I've corrected!!)

- Spot polish with drill mounted White 4" Pad and Fine Machine Polish in tough to get at locations (around hood/bonnet bulge & where the spoiler hits the trunk - for some reason the PC made a mess here, but this cleaned it up nicely! )

- 2 passes PC mounted White Pad and Fine Machine Polish

- 1 Coat Brilliant Glaze (including glass)

- Revive hand polish door jambs and engine bay paint

- 1 Coat Buttery Wax to door jambs and engine bay paint

- Revive hand polish to underside of rear spoiler (no way to get PC in there!)

- Dressed engine bay, door/window rubbers and tyres with SVRT

- 2 Coats of Americana (around 12 hours apart) to finish

 

I skipped the usual Machine Super Sealant as this is very much a sunny weekend car, and spends most of it's life tucked safely away in the garage, this was far more about shine than protection

 

Ok, on with the pictures........

 

Underside of hood before

 

After

 

Engine Bay before

 

After

 

Hood before

 

After

 

Roof before

 

After

 

Trunk before

 

After

 

Rear Spoiler before

 

After

 

And some "Glamour Shots"

 

I liked this shot so much it became my new signature for the forum!

 

 

 

 

The wheels got a hand polish with Revive and a coat of Buttery inside and out as well

 

And no write up is complete without a little time to reflect

 

 

 

 

 

One last shot, just because I also put a fresh coat of Brilliant Glaze and Americana on the VZ Acclaim, my two Holdens with their Adam's Shine!!!

[JBlack151]

Great job Dave! That paint looks nice and wet!

[Captain Slow]

That Holden is looking great!!!!

[mc2hill]

Great work and fantastic shots Dave!

[GrpA Calais]

Thanks guys! I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, it's very nice to have it back to "almost perfect"

 

mc2hill - Those photo's were hard to get, believe it or not they were taken right around midday..... I was just lucky I got a fine day, our winter here is pretty wet and miserable at the moment.

[Kiwi]

Awesome finish Dave and fantastic cars

[ArmyAcadia09]

wow, great job!